French Press Part I – Coffee Nirvana in Six Easy Steps
Brewing French press coffee at home is easy to do and will produce incredible results. Once you start using this method, you will be hooked on its simplicity of preparation and depth of flavor.
Step 1 – Buy coffee.
Because the French press method is inexpensive, you can afford to buy some quality beans. Find a great roaster near you – like JJ Bean in Vancouver or Phil and Sebastian in Calgary – to buy coffee in ½ pound or one pound bags.
I’ll assume that most people don’t have a coffee grinder, so ask them to grind it for a French press. The size of the ground coffee particles should look similar to sand or kosher salt. If you have a grinder (I highly recommend this one) you should grind the beans while you boil the water in step 3.
Step 2 – Measure the coffee.
If your press came with a scoop, perfect. If not, you can just use a regular tablespoon (not a gigantic soup spoon) to do the measurements. Here’s the ratio to use:
- two rounded tablespoons of coffee for 8 ounces of water.
That means if you are using a 3 cup press, you will use 3 rounded tablespoons of coffee, or about 8 for an 8 cup press. You can adjust the amount based on your personal taste, but this is a good guideline.
Scoop the appropriate amount of coffee into the bottom of a clean, dry French press.
Step 3 – Pour the water.
Use water that is just off the boil. Once it stops bubbling, it is ready to be poured into the press.
Pour reasonably quickly while moving in a swirling motion to ensure all the coffee becomes saturated. At this point, there may be some brown foam forming on top – that’s good. This foam is called bloom, and is simply emulsified coffee oils. Pour to within about an inch and a half from the top.
Step 4 – Oh darling, stir it up.
With chopsticks or a wooden ladle, give it a gentle stir to mix things up and get all the coffee grinds incorporated. This will bring out the bloom, should you have been so lucky to have some in the first place. Gently place the lid piece on top, but do not press the plunger down!
Step 5 – Timing is everything.
From the moment water comes in contact with the coffee, you should let it steep for about 3 minutes. Set a timer, or just glance at the clock when you start pouring.
Step 6 – Plunge and pour.
When time is up, gently push the plunger down with even pressure. If the plunger becomes too resistant, pull it up a half inch and then continue to press down. Once the plunger is fully depressed, you can pour yourself a delicious cup of coffee in the morning!
